The Time of the Day
by reminiscent-afterthought
Summary: Some things begin and end. Other things are eternal.
1. Sunrise

**A/N:** Written for the 7_suns challenge on lj, using the theme-set "time".

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><p><strong><em>The Time of the Day<em>**

_Part 1 of 7: Sunrise_

Ken had always wondered why the sky always changed colours in the morning. When he was little – old enough to sleep twelve hours at night and stay awake till at noon – he would be up with the first ray of sunlight hitting his face and making a ruckus until his family woke as well.

Even in those days, Osamu was immersed in his studies, but not so much so that he wouldn't set his alarm to awaken him at the crack of dawn and spare his father the extra hour. And so Osamu used to make sure to wake before his little brother, who at times was as predictable as the clock and just as gullible, and they would go out onto the balcony and observe the sunrise together.

Ken often asked why the sky changed the way it did during that moment, and at first Osamu had no idea how to reply. After all, his baby brother was far too young to understand the scattering of light through atmospheric particles; he had just learnt the science behind it himself. He tried thinking back beyond that, however he couldn't remember ever being interested in the phenomena. To him, it was something that had simply occurred every day. In one sense it was a part of the clock, even as it shifted by the day.

He was more interested in what was the reference point that created that twenty-four hour cycle demonstrated by the clock than the brief ten minutes where the sky lit up painsickenly. But it seemed to excite his brother; if it weren't for the rails Osamu was sure Ken would have bounced right off the balcony. Even with the protection he made sure to keep a close eye on the boy…who only had eyes for the pretty lights in the sky.

When he was a little older and his brother a little more distant, he came out onto the balcony on his own. Osamu stopped waking early and instead slept as late as possible after studying most of the night away, and waking him unnecessarily would earn him a scolding. But by that time Ken was tall enough to reach the keys and unlock the sliding door, and so he looked out onto the sunrise on his own and wondered why it lit up so beautifully.

Sometimes, he would blow bubbles, letting them reflect the magnificent array of light. Then he would sadly leave once the light faded and became a pale blue and the bubbles burst. Sometimes he would snuggle back under the covers. At other times he would grab a picture book and spread it on the floor in his brother's room. His excuse was that it was "comfy", and as long as he was quiet, no-one minded.

The truth was, it was his way to be closer to his brother. Just like Osamu's way was to make the bubble mix and cut the straws every day for him, with a little extra so he could enjoy his little sunrise tradition.

But he never did find a satisfactory answer. Osamu's version didn't seem right. Or it wasn't Osamu's version really; rather it was "science's" version. His story books were a little too fantastical, though it was nice to think a dragon roared every morning to drive the bad things away for the day. And his parents were always busy with something else and mumbled something he either failed to catch or had no relation to his question.

And then he went to the digital world for the first time and saw an even more amazing sunrise. And when he asked Wormmon, he finally got the reply he had been waiting a life time to hear.

"It symbolises the beginning of something new."

Like the fireworks that went off at the summer's end festival, celebrating the coming of the harvest season. Like the incense that made a sad pale smoke of stuttering colour, mourning loss and paying for success in the next life. Like the candles on a birthday cake that melted together in a brief second before being extinguished, symbolising the year that had passed and the age that had been added.

And like the glowing lights on the screen that had sucked him into this new and fantastic world…and his best friend.


	2. Morning

**A/N:** Written for the 7_suns challenge on lj, using the theme-set "time".

Once again this is in order of prompts and not in chronological order. In terms of this part, it was based off the events of episode 23: Genesis of Evil (since there's no dialogue, there's little difference between the two, and it's one of the few I have watched both versions of). As the 02 is approaching winter at this point, the days are shorter, and since his mother mentioned dinner, it would be bordering around sunset by then. So that's the time schematics of this.

The digital world, from memory, didn't show any signs of being late though; the babies should have been asleep if it was. Maybe the time alignment only reflects the 24 hour cycle; I don't see evidence of seasons; the weather seems localised to different areas, eg. Mountain's always snowing, desert's always dry and hot etc.

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><p><strong><em>The Time of the Day<em>**

_Part 2 of 7: Morning_

It was strange, waking up one morning with no recollection of his past. A slim ray of light was shining insistently on his face, but he failed to realise its significance. Instead, he stared blankly until his eyes lost their focus – and with the power of even a single undiluted ray of light, it was no wonder that his vision became blurry in a matter of seconds.

He blinked senselessly, looking at his unfamiliar surroundings. Not that he could see much in a blank white ceiling. Or read much, except that there was something distinctly unsettling about staring at it without blinking.

He stopped once shadows began crawling into the corner of his vision. It was unnerving, being unable to catch them in his more comfortable line of sight before they vanished. But he could not, and all he accomplished was inviting a sick sensation into his gut. The sort that invited nausea, and so he stopped, closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

But even behind his eyes was something he could not grasp, no matter how he tried. And as the day moved from morning to noon, nothing became clearer save the sun.

By the time the sun began to set and night approached, he wondered if the darkness would bring forward answers that the sun, in all its illuminating brightness, had failed to reveal…

…and there, in the dimness of his room, was the echo of a light guiding his way to a lost morning…or perhaps a new one.


	3. Noon

**A/N:** Don't need to say which episode this is. :)

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><p><p>

**_The Time of the Day_**

_Part 3 of 7: Noon_

The sun was high in the sky, and it was burning him to cinders.

Rather, he wished it were. Perhaps some divine punishment would feel more redeeming than a wasteland where nothing grew. For while he wondered if the garden of Eden had sprung up from such a place…but a hundred – or maybe a thousand – steps later he was only thinking about water.

What he found at the top – where the sun touched the earth at high noon – was not the immediate salvation he lusted for, but the one he, somewhere deep in his heart desired. The point of crucifixion…and he soon became fixed, tied with his own whip and the ropes he had hounded countless ringed slaves with, and there they all were, the digimon he had wronged ready to punish him…

And yet it wasn't him, for his feet were still on the ground, still burning. But his heart was tied far above his head, crying in pain each time a rock or a thunderbolt or an orb of light struck. Shaped like a human and cloaked in the persona of the Digimon Kaiser, with the jumpsuit and the cloak and the shades and even the hairstyle to match.

Except the image broke, leaving only the shades behind. The first things he had thrown off when his eyes had opened to the truth. In a way, symbolic to the blinds that had covered his eyes from the truth.

They sat there, on the sand when everything else had gone. A statement, or perhaps a message…

And then they were gone too – no, simply removed. Picked up by a familiar face, a familiar form.

He looked up, his breath catching. For a moment, it seemed the Kaiser had returned to stand above him, but the face was fuller, kinder…

'Osamu…'

Behind him, the sun slipped away to bring forth a welcome darkness. But as light began to trickle in again, the darkness twisted into something false, something ugly. The scorching sun vanished and the truth arrived, starting with the light closest to his heart and leading right up to the one who had kindled his darkness.

From Wormmon to BelialVamdemon, they all stood before him as the truth, and both the Digimon Kaiser and the long dead brother vanished into the past where they belonged.


	4. Afternoon

**_The Time of the Day_**

_Part 4 of 7: Afternoon_

The sun had long started sinking towards the horizon by the time Millenniummon's form slumped to the ground and began crumbling. Ryo's audible sigh of relief echoed through the wasteland and Paildramon mimicked it before crashing to his knees in the sand.

'It's over.'

The words were repeated in another voice: the more cautious half that made the Jogress, and then they separated, devolving back into their Fresh stages and struggling on the sea of sand.

Both boys smiled at the scene and Ryo, taller and less physically exhausted than the other, took a step forward. And so it was he wasn't looking at his fallen enemy.

But his companion was. And thus it was only he who saw the disintegrating data take form and shape –

– and direction.

He cried out in alarm, throwing his full weight forward as he noticed one heading right for Ryo's heart. He felt the other's elbow in his chest as he crashed, and for a moment he was aware of them both pitching forward and thought wryly the sand would be intolerable, but the next moment his mind was overcome by pain and he became incapable of recognising – or even seeing – anything else.

A chapter that should have ended in happiness and victory instead led to days of cloudy confusion ahead, and the two weary digimon managed to drag their way to their humans as the screams and thrashing continued, and when they finally stopped and they (or Ryou more specifically) were able to move him, the sun had gone as well, leaving them at the mercy of the night and whatever mysteries it concealed.

Ryou hoisted Ken's unconscious form over his shoulder, offered a hand to Chibimon and Leafmon (who both refused) and set off where the sun had set. They had come from the west after all, and none of them had any idea what lay beyond the temple to the east.


	5. Evening

**_The Time of the Day_**

_Part 5 of 7: Evening_

'I could use a drink,' Wormmon said, antennas drooping in the clinging heat.

Ken laughed. His partner did admittedly look rather funny, all shrivelled up. Perhaps it was the invertebrate part of his makeup, but the summer failed to invite sweat and flushed skin. Instead it brought about a hard covering and a loss of otherwise perfect coordination of his caterpillar pods…but that didn't change the fact that they were both thirsty.

'I'll get some water,' he offered. There were other choices, but coffee, tea and warm milk were out of the question (as was cold milk, as the only place it currently existed was on the grocery list), as were soft drinks. Cordial was a no-no as well; his mother didn't buy them anymore because of the high sugar content. Then there were fruit drinks, which would while refreshing them make Wormmon feel rather sticky, so water was the only option.

And so he fetched two glasses, filled them to the brim and carried them carefully onto the veranda before handing one to Wormmon.

Then he slumped gracefully to the floor again, enjoying the slight breeze that came from being eleven stories up.

'This is definitely one of the down sides of summer.'

'I don't know,' Wormmon admitted, trying to get comfortable. 'Not that this heat is comfortable, but things are nice and peaceful.'

'Hmm…' Ken closed his eyes. 'You're right. This is a quiet evening. Normally, the sound of traffic or squawking birds carries up here, but it's just the summer breeze…' He paused, before adding with a teasing grin: 'perfect date weather.'

'Did you want to invite Miyako here?' Wormmon asked, completely missing the point.

Ken said at much, and the digimon pouted. 'I'm not too familiar with human relationships.'

'I meant that it's the sort of scene that's perfect for just two people,' Ken explained. 'In this case, you and me. Feeling the wind. Looking through the bars of the balcony…'

'I see…' Wormmon stretched his limbs. 'Just being together.'

'Yeah, just being together.'

And they stayed there till the sun set.


	6. Sunset

**_The Time of the Day_**

_Part 6 of 7: Sunset_

The sunset in the digital world was unlike anything Ken had ever witnessed before, but above all else it was a reminder of his transgression.

'Oh,' he cried. 'I was only supposed to be a minute…' He looked at the little device, the one which had sucked him into the computer the moment he touched it, then at Wormmon, who had so quickly become a close friend.

'That digivice is yours,' Wormmon said, again repeating the words he had said when fending off the Gazimon that had attacked them. 'Don't forget that, and I'll always be here, waiting for the next time you visit.'

'Mine?' Ken repeated. In the moment, it had been quickly accepted, but now that they stood at the gateway between their two worlds he wasn't so sure. 'Onii-san said it was his.'

Wormmon shook his head. 'The digivice brought you to the digital world and not him.'

A smile spread.

'And you're my partner.'

'And I'm your partner,' Wormmon agreed, as night fell upon them and the sky turned black. 'I'll always be here for you, even if I'm not in your world.'

'Can't you come?' Ken asked, hopefully.

'No,' the digimon said sadly. 'Not yet anyway.'

'But why?'

'My place is here,' Wormmon explained gently. 'You are human and must return to your own world, but I am a digimon.'

'You could hide under my bed,' the nine year old offered.

'I can't leave everything behind.'

'Oh.' Ken thought of everything he loved in his world: his parents, his brother…or maybe he could leave them for a few days. Maybe they would spend more time with him then.

He quickly shook his head. Those were cruel thoughts to think.

'Is something wrong?' Wormmon asked.

'No.' Ken shook his head. 'It's just that…I was having fun.'

'So was I, but you'll come back tomorrow.'

'I'll come back,' Ken promised, before taking a deep breath and raising his digivice, fading into the multitude of lights.


	7. Night

**A/N:** And this is the last one. Challenge completed…or as a certain foursome would say, "mischief managed".

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><p><p>

**_The Time of the Day_**

_Part 7 of 7: Night_

By the end of their adventure, the whole world (or an overwhelming percentage of its population) were aware of the existence of digimon and were, on the whole, forthcoming to their presence and therefore it became unnecessary to hide their digital friends away from the rest of the world.

It was a relief, as it allowed them to do more things together than was previously possible. Like go out shopping together, watch movies, goof around on the basketball courts (and it was distintly amusing watching Wormmon scampering along trying to cling to the ball with his two forefeet).

'What's funny?' Wormmon asked as the laughter showed on Ken's face.

'I was thinking of that basketball game today,' the human replied.

They had managed to score quite badly too, since their team had also consisted of Patamon whose arms were too small to firmly grasp the ball, Gomamon who arguably did not have hands, and Armadillamon who walked on all fours and similarly found it difficult. And there was a limit to how much their humans could help them.

He would have accused Daisuke for rigging the teams, but if he had done that most certainly he wouldn't have paired himself and Miyako together. More likely it was Tai doing a mix of matchmaking and…something else which only Tai understood.

But it had been fun.

'If we had digivoved, we would have been unbeatable,' Wormmon pouted, as well as a worm could pout. It was probably true too, as it would have given both Patamon and Wormmon an advantage while Gabumon and Hawkmon would have been disadvantaged.

'That's true,' Ken agreed. 'But then we would have had to feed you more. Shops there are expensive.'

'We were saving our energy.' Unlike Ken, Wormmon's tone was serious.

No-one could begrudge him; they were still a little wound up after defeating BelialVamdemon, and the Digital World was far from peaceful while dealing with the aftermath of his destruction.

They lay in silence for a while, wrapped warmly in blankets to ward off the winter chill. 'We should sleep now,' Ken said eventually. 'We're going skating tomorrow.'

'I wonder if they have skates that fit me,' Wormmon wondered aloud.

His partner chuckled slightly, closing his eyes and picturing the image. That brought up the scribbles of his youth, of fantastical creatures and sunrises…

'Hey Wormmon,' Ken mumbled sleepily, almost asleep. 'Let's get up early and watch the sunrise together.'

'Okay,' Wormmon said agreeably, a little more awake.


End file.
